The audacity of it! Mr. Henderson, with his perfect lawn and perfectly trimmed hedges, stood on his side of the property line, gesturing towards the ancient oak. "It's blocking my sunlight," he'd chirped, a smile plastered on his face that felt like a deliberate provocation. She wanted to shove that smile right off his face. She clenched her fists, the nails digging into her palms. The oak had been there for longer than she had, a silent sentinel against the relentless sun.
He continued, prattling on about "safety concerns" and "potential damage to the foundation," but her ears seemed to be filled with buzzing static. She could feel a tremor in her jaw, a deep thrumming that vibrated through her teeth. Her gaze drifted to the oak, its leaves rustling in the breeze, a living, breathing testament to time. Henderson clearly thought he could just waltz in and order the destruction of something so majestic. The sheer gall of it.
"I'll have to think about it," she finally managed, her voice tight and clipped, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a direct response. She turned abruptly and walked back into her house, slamming the door with a force that rattled the windows.